Post Holiday Blues Mini-Rant

One of the most difficult things about Christmas is the after-Christmas let down.

For two months, we have all of this build-up. Santa's coming! Stuff! Snow! Sleds! Bikes! Clothes! Parties! Purchases! Shiny glitz and glitter!

It's heady and exciting, not only for children, but also for adults who are busy trying to win or show their love and approval. How much do I care? Well, a diamond necklace worth! See? If you weren't my friend, would I give you this gift card?

The Christmas carols begin before Thanksgiving - poor ol' Tom turkey not only loses his life, but also his importance - and Santa arrives in a helicopter in early November. The sales start now, too. Buy at the three-week-before Black Friday walapoloza! Lowest prices of the season - until next week.

And then we have the big day. Rattle! Shake! Unwrap, untape! Looky here! A gizmo, a doodad, a whopsniggle! A hug, a kiss beneath the mistletoe, another piece of fudge.

Three days later? The toys have been sampled, looked at, maybe discarded. The new clothes are washed, ironed, and hung in the closet to blend in with the old. The new tools are in the tool box, the new camera's been tested. The fudge is gone. All that's left are old wrinkled oranges and a little bit of cider.

Not to mention it's cold outside, and who wants to go to the store when the wind is blowing 40 mph? Not I. Or is it me? How about you?

Of course, if you have items to return - that's so much fun - then you might be out and about. Clock's ticking on getting the right size or the refund. The stores are getting stingier about that, too.

So it's over. Now we have nothing to look forward to except the new year - and how happy is that going to be, with Mayan end-times prophecies hanging over our heads, making everyone crazy? Some people will take this to heart - they will sell their houses and lose their lives.

Don't you think 2012 will be a year to remember? And remember it we will, because I don't know about you, but I'm planning on having the post-holiday blues again next year at this time. I don't believe in prophecy.